Your office coffee mug could be carrying 'colonies of germs'

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Your office coffee mug you use for just about every beverage could cause you to fall ill, says an expert.

People rarely take their office coffee mug home for washing and many times they scrub it at the office with sponges and brushes that have been used by everyone, making a home for bacteria.

In fact, Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona, says 20 percent of mugs carry fecal bacteria.

"Colonies of germs are living in your favorite cup," he told the Huffington Post.

So, cleaning your office cup is very important, said Gerba.

He suggests bringing your favorite cup home daily to be washed in a dishwasher on the hottest temperature possible.

If you don't have a dishwasher, then first fill the cup with hot water and put a teaspoon of baking soda in it, letting it sit overnight. And then, finally wash it in hot water as you normally would, said one user on Mamapedia.